When is it right for college coaches to step away from coaching and begin a career outside of the college campus?

Most coaches have that question run through their mind from time to time, and it’s not an easy decision. So, how do you go about making the right decision?

That’s what we wanted to ask this episode’s guest, former Division I basketball recruiting coordinator Larita Wilcher. She made the tough decision to walk away from a good job with a bright future, deciding instead to spend more time with her family and launching a tech start-up. Risky? You bet. Stressful? Oh yeah.

And yet, she says she’d do it all over again.

Why?

We talk to her about making a big decision like this, and what her advice is for her fellow coaches who are contemplating the same thing. She also talks about the cool technology company she has founded since leaving coaching.

The question came from a second year admissions counselor who had attended my presentation at IACAC Congress earlier in the day.

He found me during the conference social and asked if he could vent about something that was really frustrating him.

“I have all these admitted students and I’ve worked really hard to stay in touch with them but every time I check in and see what’s going on they don’t say much…I’m getting tired of waiting for them to make a decision or tell me they’re going somewhere else.”

My reply to him: “Have you asked each of them when they’re going to make their decision?”

He paused for about 3 seconds before telling me, “No.”

Are you facing a similar situation with admitted students right now?

All that constant wondering isn’t much fun, is it?

Here’s the good news – there’s no need to wonder about it. In fact, there’s a simple question that can help erase all the mystery when it comes to the decision making process of a prospective student:

“How will you make your final decision?”

I want you to ask it just like it’s written. You can put that question in a brief email you send (make sure you come up with the right subject line), or you can ask it during a phone call. Just make sure you ask it…don’t wait any longer! And if you’re saying to yourself, “Jeremy, I already asked that question (or a version of it) earlier in the process,” that’s fine, but I want you to ask it again. While you should definitely ask this question up front, you and I both know that this generation changes their mind all the time.

After the student answers, here’s an important follow-up question to ask:

“And then what?”

As the student begins to tell you more, I want you to ask, “And then what?” again. And on and on until you finally get a handle on the real source of their decision. Our clients, as well as others I’ve recommended take this approach, have found it reveals the undecided student’s current mindset, and it draws out vital information at this stage in the process (ex. I picked another school and was afraid to tell you; I’m waiting on other financial aid packages; I have a lingering concern or objection that I was afraid to bring up).

If you’re looking for even more reassurance that asking a question like this can pay off, I asked the same admission counselor that I mentioned earlier to put it to the test with some of his undecided admits.

The result? He got the answers and information he was looking for from every single student whom he asked how they would be making their final decision. He now had a better feel of what to do next with each of those students…one of whom told him he had picked another school.

I can’t stress how important this short series of questions is. It’s a key question for admissions professionals to ask when they want to understand how a decision is going to be made. And it’s a great question to ask if you’re constantly finding yourself wondering what your prospects are thinking.

If you have a particular question, problem, hurdle, or recruitment issue that you want advice on and are afraid to ask your colleagues, don’t hesitate to email me at jeremy@dantudor.com. You’ll get a response from me within 24 hours, guaranteed!

My goal in today’s VIP extra is to make sure you get started on the right foot with your current list of juniors.

Here are two things that can help you take the early lead:

Share both the positives and the negatives. Too many admission counselors only talk about the positives associated with their school during those early conversations. This generation of students, and their parents, are looking for colleges that demonstrate honesty during the recruitment process. Remember, students and parents are coming into the conversation with biases for and/or against your school. If you paint a “perfect” picture in everything you show them and tell them, you run the risk of making them question whether they’re getting the real story from you. It’s best to show your “cracks” before they show up in unexpected places or at unexpected times.

Change your call to action. Visit, Visit, Apply, Apply…sound familiar? There’s a time and a place for those, and it’s not always right out of the gate. Instead, at the end of your email or letter, try asking your junior prospects if what you’re saying matches up with what they’re looking for in a college, or how much what you just shared matters to them. Not only will this demonstrate that you understand the process is about their wants and needs, but you’ll also be making them feel more comfortable engaging with you. Build, build, build that recruiting relationship…then ask them to visit or apply.

Being “in” their top five college choices is better than not being in their top five. At least in theory.

The thing is, we’re finding that being listed in a prospect’s “top five” isn’t what it used to be. In the good ‘ol days, being listed in a recruit’s top five was the result of much deliberation, and a good degree of logical decision making on the part of your prospect and his or her family.

Not anymore.

Now, in many (most?) cases, being listed in your prospect’s top group of college choices is just a small part of the recruiting game they play:

You ask them to list their top five colleges when they first fill out your recruiting questionnaire? Yep, you’re on it. Why wouldn’t you be?…they want you to stay interested in them, and that’s one sure way to do it.

You’re getting ready to bring kids to campus on visits? Your prospects know what to do: List you in their top five, and get a trip to campus. It can be a lot of fun for them, and keeps you on the line in case some of their other higher ranked choices don’t pan out.

You’re asking them to commit, and have offered a scholarship or a roster spot? That’s great coach, and you’re in my top five, but I just need to wait until I make one or two more visits and hear from those other coaches.

Are any of those painful reminders of recruiting past, Coach? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Today’s prospects have learned a valuable lesson from college recruiters: If they continue to show just enough interest in you, you’ll continue to show just enough interest in them. Let’s not blame them for that; however, lets also not give up that negotiating point to them – especially if it’s later in the process, and you’re really needing to make some final decisions soon.

There are ways to take better control of the situation, and truly uncover where you stand with many of your recruits – and, put an end to the unending agony of hearing that you are in your prospect’s top five, when that may not actually be the case.

If they say you’re their number one choice, it might be time to close the deal. Of course, you have to feel the same way. But in the event you do, you need to take action. It is staggering, to me, the number of times a coach will hear a prospect tell him or her that they are number one on their list, which is met with indifference by the coach; the process wears on, and the recruit assumes that your lack of interaction means you don’t want them. When your prospect tells you that you’re number one, that’s a big cue. Take it. Or, risk losing them.

If they say you’re one of their top choices, it’s time to get clarification. Personally, I would often recommend to a client that they take the leap and ask if that means they’re ‘ready to commit’. The benefit to that? If the answer is “yes”, you just won the recruiting battle. If the answer is “no”, then it opens up the next logical step in the conversation: Getting them to explain where you stand with them, and why. And, what needs to happen next, in their mind. That’s valuable information that most coaches never dig deep enough to uncover. Don’t be that coach.

If they say you’re “one of the schools/programs we’re still looking at”, that could be a red flag. As we’ve outlined in past articles, it’s really hard for your prospect to tell you no, which means you need to search it out. Why? Because it’s hard for them to say no, they tend to drop hints. This is one of the most common. They are probably going to tell you no, and they’re feeling a little guilty about how to break it to you, and so to make you feel better, they say something generic like “you’re one of the schools/programs we’re still looking at.” If you hear that, I’d recommend following-up with something similar to the response in the previous paragraph. The goal is to define exactly where they stand. As the process gets closer to the end, understanding exactly what they’re trying to tell you is one of your primary jobs as a college recruiter.

If they indicate interest verbally in some way, but you aren’t seeing physical evidence of that alleged interest, it’s all about to implode. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule, where the recruit re-appears out of nowhere and commits to your program, saving that recruiting class. But I beg you not to worship the exception, rather than the rule. Most of the time, their actions match their verbal assurances. That could take the form of uninitiated contact on their part on a regular basis, communication from the parents, asking to come to campus again, returning an email or text message…something that indicates that you are important enough to keep in touch with, even when they know you’re ready for their final decision.

We aren’t going to go deep into the nuts and bolts of asking for the commitment (click here if you want to look at our library of past articles on that topic). The point of this discussion about this aspect of the recruiting process is stressing the importance of you and your coaching staff correctly assessing exactly where each of your recruits stand. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security when you hear a prospect telling you how you’re still in their top five. Question it, confirm it, and then act on it.

If you don’t, be prepared for the unending agony of lost recruits to continue.

Want more detailed instruction on how to handle delay tactics by your recruits at your college? Bring Dan to campus for a detailed training session designed specifically for your campus. We’ve completely updated what we talk about and how each aspect of the recruiting process should be approached by a college coach. For information about our famous on-campus recruiting workshop, click here or email Dan Tudor at dan@dantudor.com

A college athletic identity is a special thing. When I say athletic identity I am referring to the sport’s logo, colors, fonts, and even their mascot. Change in design, of identities in particular, causes a lot of discomfort! Even if overall it is a change for the better it isn’t what people have grown to love or associate with their beloved team.ProsFresh, clean, and simple can be so refreshing to a dated logo. Does that logo look clunky? Is it hard to read or does it look bad on mobile devices? This does not give a good impression to the fans, new recruits coming to visit the school, or to outsiders looking in. It can be the simplest little thing in a logo that creates a turn-off. Maybe it is off balance, two letters are just too close together, or the colors just don’t ring true to what they used to mean. Good design is something you look upon and don’t really question when it surrounds you. There are subconscious influences in your choices all the time for the products and brands you surround yourself with. a half could flow over into a recruit’s mind for the choice of the very school they decide to attend! Did your athletic program revamp its way of operating? Did you just have an incredible season and now the eyes are all on you? Is the competition increasing more and you need that extra edge? These are just some of the reasons why a college athletic program may choose to change their athletic identity.ConsWith every significant identity change of something we interact with everyday, there will be push back. The roll-out of the new logo for your college athletic team may receive criticism. People simply do not like change. Will the current athletes and fans miss that old logo and hold onto their rally flags and jerseys? Some will. Will some question the decision why it was ever changed in the first place? Indeed! For someone who has only ever supported one look and feel of the team, this is understandable. For the players who fought their hearts out for their school, this is part of the core and pride of their team. The important thing is to recognize is that this as a natural reaction to change and should not be misinterpreted as a mistake.Ultimately what heals all identity changing wounds is time. Remember when Google changed their beloved identity in 2015? There was intense push back on social media and many articles written deeply analyzing the foundation of the logo change. Among all the hate there were some that did see it as a nice refresh from what it once was. It is 2017, and we haven’t heard a peep about that logo change in over a year and half. The hate quickly died and turned into a comfort. Changes were applied everywhere! All of their phone applications got a refreshing overhaul and we still religiously use them as we once did. Our love for Google didn’t change, we were just forced out of our comfort zone and needed time to heal. Google is now dressed for the times and ready for future users to embrace its new look and feel.Recruits are coming and may not even hold the same loyalty to the college athletic identity as past athletes or supporters. They may have just heard about your program for the very first time! The future of your college athletic program may call for a revamp of your identity. When approaching an identity shift, colleges should take their time, be considerate about feedback, deeply consider color palettes, and choose a professional designer who will take all that into account. The existing identity of the college is what has brought it to this point. The new identity is what will propel it into the future.

What does it take to have the focus required to be a truly effective coach?

The keys are priorities and concentration.

A coach who knows their priorities but lacks concentration knows what to do but never gets it done. A coach who has concentration but no priorities, has excellence without progress. But when you harness both, you have the potential to achieve great things. John Maxwell

I frequently talk to coaches who seem to major in minor things. These coaches either spend more time on TV watching, surfing the internet, or on social media vs working on their goals like the quote above mentions. Or they spend 90% of their time during the day working on minor maintenance tasks instead of working on the major tasks that will help them make progress.

So the important question is, how should you focus your time and energy to become an effective coach?

Focus on Your Strengths

Effective coaches who reach their potential spend more time focusing on what they do well than on what they do wrong. To be successful, focus on your strengths and develop them. That’s where you should put your time, energy, and resources. Now, I don’t believe that anybody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness, especially if you are low on staff and budget. The key is to minimize it as much as possible, and coaches can do it by delegating. For example, I delegate database entry of recruits from tournaments to students on work study. I delegate organizing food on the road to my juniors or seniors because it saves me a lot of time and it helps get them take more ownership. I delegate the reading of recruiting service emails to my grad assistant. That way when I’m in the office, I stick to the things I do best, such as the communicating with my top recruits, building relationships with my team, or planning training sessions.

Prioritize

When we are busy, we naturally believe that we are achieving. But busyness does not equal productivity. Activity is not necessarily accomplishment. Prioritizing requires coaches to continually think ahead, to know what’s important, to know what’s next, and to see how everything relates to the overall vision.

What is required? What must I do that nobody can or should do for me?

What gives the greatest return? Work in your areas of greatest strength. Is there something you’re doing that can be done 80 percent well by someone else? If so, delegate it.

What brings the greatest reward? Life is too short not to do some things you love. What energizes you and keeps you passionate?

I have found that these 2 concepts are common knowledge, but not common practice. They are easy to do, but also easy not to do. I have been working with a lot of coaches on setting their work day up this way and they love the progress they are seeing. It is simple but very effective.

These are just a few simple things that you could do to be a more effective coach who gets important things done. If you want more ideas, go to www. Busy.coach.

Leadership equals success, in the mind of most college coaches. And, there is certainly no shortage of leadership experts and authors ready to lend their ideas to the mix on what makes good leaders, and how to get there.

On this episode of the College Recruiting Weekly podcast, we talk to a former coach turned leadership guru who I believe you should listen to: He has lived the coaching life you live for more than two decades, and now gets to share his lessons and expertise with businesses and CEOs all over the country.

His lessons on how coaches can become great leaders are fantastic (as is the drop-in visit by former University of Michigan basketball star Jalen Rose…or was it someone a little younger?….)

I came to find out after the fact that she had been worried for a while about her school’s comm. flow plan. She thought a lot of their content was good, but she was concerned that the emails and letters were individual pieces that didn’t connect well, if at all, and on top of that she has a relatively young team of counselors many of whom are still learning how to manage their territories and improve their communication with families. My article had given her the push she needed to ask for an outside perspective on their communications plan.

Last Friday, I had a follow-up phone call with this Director. I offered some advice on the tone and language in their messaging, and we talked about how often (and through what channels) her counselors should be communicating at various stages. Then I expressed my concern about the gaps in their communications after a student is admitted.

That’s what I want to talk about with you today. Slowing down communications after a prospect is admitted is a big mistake, and it’s one that will impact your yield in a negative way.

During our On-Campus Workshops with admissions departments, I constantly talk about not only forming a meaningful connection with a prospective student and his or her family, but the importance of strengthening that bond throughout theentire recruitment cycle.

When discussing this communication issue with counselors during 1-on-1 meetings that accompany our admissions workshop, the responses I get usually go something like, “They already know everything about our school,” or “I don’t want to repeat the same things over again.” My response to those statements is simple. If you fail to continue to have meaningful conversations with your admitted students, don’t be shocked when many of them choose to enroll elsewhere. Let me take that one step further. If you’re having trouble coming up with things to talk about with this group of students, I’d wager to say you haven’t built a strong enough rapport yet.

Here’s the good news – If you’re making this mistake, there’s still time to fix it.

Below are three easy-to-implement ideas on how to effectively manage this crucial time period in the recruitment process:

Please, and I’m pleading with you here, keep giving them reasons why your school is the “right fit.” This generation craves direction. Even after they get admitted, many of them are still looking for good reasons to ultimately choose your school. Make sure you’re giving those to them, and make sure you’re doing it on a consistent basis. Let me remind you that your prospects tell us they want a logical, foundational message about your school every 6 to 9 days. That doesn’t change after you admit them. And when I say a logical, foundational message, I’m not talking about reminders to fill out your housing form or sign up for an admitted student day event. There has to be more substance in your messaging. You need to continue to reinforce the idea that your college is the perfect place for them to spend the next four years…and here’s why. If you choose not to take that approach and instead wait until an admitted student day event to try and “close the deal”,” you’re significantly decreasing your chances for success. Like it or not, other colleges will continue to send them letters and emails. And would it surprise you to know that admitted students have told us that they even start to consider new schools because they just aren’t 100% sure yet that they’ve found that “right fit?” You need to continue to cultivate your recruiting relationship with this group of students. Don’t just assume that they already know everything they need to know.

Make sure you’re talking to the parents. Why? As most of you already know, our on-going research on how prospects make their final decision tells us that parents are the biggest outside influencer. That means if you don’t communicate consistently with them at this point in time, you leave open the possibility of unanswered questions or objections. We’ve found that a conversation with the parents during this critical time period can be very insightful. It guarantees that everybody is on the same page, plus parents will often provide admission counselors with usable information (assuming they ask the right kinds of questions) about their child’s thought process, “tie-breakers,” etc.

Ask about their timeline for making a decision. If you’ve maintained consistent communication from the beginning, asking a question at this point and time such as, “Walk me through your timeline of making your decision,” will rarely be viewed as “pressuring” them. Conversely, if you’ve been inconsistent at staying in touch and reminding them you’re here to help, I’d advise you to proceed very carefully when it comes to this line of questioning. If you ask and the student tells you that they aren’t sure and they haven’t really thought that far ahead, you can explain that setting a reasonable deadline will help them see the end of what is a tough, stressful process. And you can even use something like a housing deadline to provide more logic. If the student still avoids a discussion with you on this subject, understand that there’s a chance they’ve already made a decision not in your favor, and they’re just too scared to tell you. On the other hand, if they start to share some details about their thought process, a great follow up question would be, “What are the big questions that you’re still wrestling with?” Getting your admit to set a reasonable deadline will give you a yes or no that will enable you to move forward.

Should you use these three guidelines? If what you’re doing now involves you feeling like you aren’t in control of the process, if your prospect hasn’t returned your phone calls, or if you’ve stopped sending emails and letters that offer value and tell your school’s story the way you did in the early stages, then I think it’s a smart move.

My goal each week is to provide you with information and strategies that will help you become a better communicator and a more efficient recruiter/leader. DID THIS HELP? I’d love to hear what you think – jeremy@dantudor.com

It could be a question on a dating site – that’s how important the answer is to some. Are Android users compatible with iPhone users? What does it all mean?? Joking aside, the differences in devices and the debates probably come up in discussion for each of us about once a week…maybe even more often between your coworkers, your friends, and your family.

It is also important among recruits. While I was on campus last month a coach mentioned to me that his recruits (the iPhone users) did not like interacting through text with Android users because texts come through as green and not blue. He was referring to iMessage. iMessage works with iPhone and can operate while on wifi… it also shows up as blue on the iPhone. An iPhone user can actually know if you are using an Android vs. and iPhone and to some it is significant. Also, did you know some emojis are not compatible from iPhone to Android / Android to iPhone? While small, these details matter a LOT to the younger generation.

For some of us, the thought of using a brand / device other than the one we are familiar with can seem almost foreign. I know as a very dedicated Apple user, when my grandmother (an Android user) comes to me for advice, I end up doing lots of googling to help her out with the functionality. I had to google something as simple as turning on the flashlight. I have even resulted to opening up the user manual… yes they still exist! To me, Androids are super confusing and I just can not seem to grasp it. The same thing rings true I’m sure for some Android and PC users when operating an Apple product… familiarity is key.

This got me thinking, I wanted to poll the Front Rush staff to see what they prefer in terms of Apple vs. Android, Mac vs. PC and to hear more in depth reasons behind why they choose that brand or device. Whether it is out of necessity or preference, I was definitely interested in learning more. So I did, and I have shared the findings with you below. While not everyone on staff participated, this is a good representation of the group. This is in no way meant to sway you one way or the other, but to give you some insight into what is more commonly used by our Front Rush staff… and why.

What Mobile Device do you use?

iPhone: 64.28%

Android: 35.71%

What iPhone users had to say:

“Because it’s the simplest and most convenient phone to use. Everyone else used an iPhone, so, naturally I had to get one too.”

“iMessage and very easy to use.”

“I use more apple products than others so it just makes more sense for me to have devices that can communicate with one another more seamlessly. I also tend to prefer the design ascetics of apple products.”

What Android users had to say:

“I used to be a dedicated iPhone user, but I switched about four years ago. I will never go back. iPhones had the following limitations that really limited me: – No memory expansion (my Android phone has a microSD card for a lot more storage w/out a huge sticker price) – Short battery life (my Android phone lasts longer, and I can swap my battery) – More choices (going Android opens my options up to a lot more choices in phones)”

“Open ecosystem, more free apps on play store, the voice assistant understands accents of non native english speakers, “Google now” which works better with Android”

“Easy to use. Very customizable. EASY to customize. Nice design. Not many issues (Loved my Galaxy S4.. currently use Galaxy S5) Many free apps.”

What Type of Computer do you use for work?

Mac: 71.43%

PC: 28.57%

Top reasons for choosing Mac:

“It works much nicer with my design software, it has an excellent battery life, and the overall life of the device is simply better than a lot of PC products.”

“I am a developer/Engineer and requires to be on a unix based system, so that rules out Windows. Out the choices I have, mac is most usable machine and It is easy on eyes too.”

“Macs were once known to be better for design and graphic work /// since then the bridge between the two has shortened but I have come to learn that Macs are just more reliable and have less problems in their life span /// also a lot easier to use interface”

Top reasons for choosing PC:

“Have always used PCs.. familiarity.. not many issues.. customizable.. can just go on Amazon and buy another battery if I need to. Love my HP Probook.”

“PC > Mac I need the programs a PC has versus what a Mac has”

“Because my needs as a finance manager do not justify a Mac.”

What type of computer do you use for leisure?

Mac: 71.43%

PC: 28.57%

Mac users said:

“Fast and great for video editing”

“It is pretty. UI/UX is better than windows. Does not crash often, not infected by malware/virus that often.”

“I do a lot of photo development in Lightroom, and the interface is better.”

Mac users tend to be attracted to the reliability, speed, and seamless transfer between devices. The PC users mention that they are cost friendly, they appreciate the ability to customize, and enjoy gaming on their PCs which is not always compatible with Mac.

The next question asked was, “ Are you strictly one brand?”

The answers were mostly no, but for those who were a yes, here are a few examples:

“Only Apple products for personal use and only PC for work.”

“Yes, but it’s because they have not let me down.” – Apple

“Yep, 98% apple I’d say.” – Apple

Most of the responses looked something like this:

“I am not strictly loyal to a brand but more cost value and features provided.”

Or, “Nope. “Horses for courses”.ie, whatever works for my specific use case.”

For fun, I asked around for other devices that our awesome staff members use whether working or relaxing.

Tile – “Tile is a tiny Bluetooth tracker and easy-to-use app that helps you find everyday items in seconds.”

Kindle – “Kindle E-readers designed as dedicated eBook readers. Indulge your love of reading without interruptions like email alerts and push notifications. They can hold thousands of books to keep you entertained for hours.”

Amazon Fire Stick – “Fire TV Stick connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It’s an easy way to enjoy over 4,000 channels, apps, and games including access to over 250,000 TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO NOW, Hulu, and more.”

Chromecast – “Simply use your mobile device and the TV you already own to stream your favorite TV shows, movies, music, sports, games and more. Chromecast works with iPhone®, iPad®, Android phone and tablet, Mac® and Windows® laptop, and Chromebook.”

Samsung Smart TV – “Stream TV, movies, games, apps, social media and more. Find what you want fast with with your favorites panel. Learn more about the Samsung Smart TV.”

Moral of the story, whichever device you choose is going to have its pros and cons. I would suggest polling your team and learning which devices they use or prefer and why. The athletes are the best resource into the trends of the recruits when it comes to current technology / Apps/ Emojis / etc. It may also pay to invest in one of the cool devices or products listed above for your locker room or team room. A 100-300 dollar investment may make that lasting impression on that recruit who comes to campus and who knows, it could be the piece that seals the deal!Whatever device or system you prefer, I hope this has given you another perspective into the common debate of “iPhone vs. Android” and encourages you to check in with your team and recruits allowing you to be more connected with them through technology.